World champions tumble at Skate Canada

Complete article can be found at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/world-champions-tumble-at-skate-canada/article2218534/

World champions tumble at Skate Canada

BEVERLEY SMITH

Mississauga, Ont. — Globe and Mail Update

Published Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 10:51PM EDT

Last updated Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 11:12PM EDT

Javier Fernandez put Spain on the figure skating map on Friday night at Skate Canada by defeating two world champions.

Figure skating in Spain, the land of the bullfight? Hardly. Somehow, Fernandez has emerged from a country that probably doesn’t have as many rinks as there are in the block surrounding the Hershey Centre (eight rinks if you count the Mississauga Iceland across the street)

At his national championship, the men’s event attracts only about five or six senior men. Yet out of Spain has come Fernandez, who defeated Patrick Chan, holder of three world point records and the stylish former world champion Daisuke Takahashi of Japan too.

Complete article can be viewed at
Canadian pair skate to gold at ISU Junior Grand Prix

Canadian pair skate to gold at ISU Junior Grand Prix
New partners Bobak and Beharry joined forces in February 2011
The Canadian Press
Posted: Oct 14, 2011 11:24 AM ET Last Updated: Oct 14, 2011 11:21 AM ET

Katherine Bobak and Ian Beharry of Guelph, Ont., won the pairs event at the sixth and final stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit in Tallinn, Estonia, on Friday.

The Canadians, who only came together in February, collected a personal best overall score of 147.72.

Edmonton’s skating community mourns loss of Dennis McFarlane

For full article and picture go to
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Edmonton+skating+community+mourns+loss+Dennis+McFarlane/5546651/story.html

BY NICK LEES, EDMONTONJOURNAL.COM OCTOBER 13, 2011

EDMONTON - Kurt Browning, four-time world figure skating champion, says skaters who belonged to what Dennis McFarlane described as “Edmonton’s Golden Age of Skating” were all mourning his passing this week.

“I think many of us in the skating world feel the same loss after losing a friend who had a lifelong passion for skating and who helped so many of us,” says Browning.

McFarlane died of a rare blood disorder Sunday at the General Hospital. He was 76 and looked back on a career that saw him reach the highest possible ranks as an International Skating Union world judge and referee in singles, pairs and dance.

He judged at three Olympics, nine world championships and 50 major international competitions.

Browning, who landed the first quadruple jump at the 1988 world championships in Budapest, first met McFarlane in the early 1980s when, as a junior, he began skating at the Royal Glenora Club.

The skater, now married to National Ballet of Canada principal dancer Sonia Rodriguez — they have two sons and live in Toronto — was coached by Michael Jiranek at the Glenora. But he says McFarlane was one of a family of coaches and judges at the club who were always happy to give advice when asked.

Octoberfest competition starts today at Allandale Recreation Centre

For the complete article see:
http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3331378

Event draws globally
By Marg. Bruineman – Barrie Examiner

More than 600 figure skaters are about to descend upon Barrie for four days of competitions.

The annual Octoberfest competition, presented by the Barrie Skating Club and Mariposa School of Skating, runs Thursday until Sunday at Barrie's Allandale Recreation Centre.

"This is an event for competitive skaters to present this year's program to a panel of national and international judges," said organizer Lesley Buttle. "It's immediate feedback to the skaters."

Skaters from across Canada and even other countries use the event as a warm-up for the competitive season. The new scoring system requires judges to present a sort of report card to the skaters, explaining how the marks were determined.

The event also serves as a fundraiser for the local clubs.

"The money that we raise goes back to offsetting the cost of ice expenses," Buttle said. "In the last couple of years, we've raised in excess of $40,000. That's a lot of chocolate bars."

Stojko, Browning, Rochette bringing Rock the Ice 3 to Peterborough only

For complete article see:
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3331272

By MIKE DAVIES / Examiner Sports Director
Updated 12 hours ago
Kurt Browning laughed as he explained how much more enjoyable it is to skate with Elvis Stojko than against him.

The former rivals and fellow Olympic hero Joannie Rochette will headline a one-night only Rock the Ice 3 figure skating show exclusive to the Peterborough Memorial Centre Feb. 15.

Wing & Lowe welcome twins!

For full article and pictures see:
http://www.skatetoday.com/2011/10/08/wing-lowe-welcome-twins/
Posted By Skate Today On October 8, 2011 @ 3:19 pm
by Brett Barden

Former Canadian ice-dancers, Megan Wing & Aaron Lowe, welcome twins!!!

On Thursday, October 6, 2011 around 4:00pm, Megan gave birth to two healthy twins, one boy and one girl. Keauna Auburn Wing Lowe weighs in at 4 lbs 9 oz and Tayson Pierce Wing Lowe weighs in at 5 lbs 14 oz.

“The babies are healthy, so far so good,” stated Lowe.

Grand Prix Season Preview: Canadian women rebuilding

Full article at: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/blogs/pjkwong/2011/09/figure-skating-preview-canadian-women-rebuilding.html

September 30, 2011 1:55 PM
By PJ Kwong

For figure skating fans, the time between the end of worlds and the start of the next season's ISU Grand Prix series can seem like a long time with no action. (In case you forgot, Miki Ando won the 2011 women's world championship after the event was moved from her native Japan to Moscow in the wake of a devastating earthquake and tsunami.)

But the truth is, the work never stops for the skaters.

Canada's top women are in what some would call a "rebuilding" phase. Selections for the upcoming Grand Prix series are based in part on individual skaters' results and rankings, which means that Canada will only be allowed to field entries in three of the six events. Compare that to Japan, the United States and Russia, which are allowed entries in all six events. There's no doubt that heading into this season the Canadian women are at the base of a steep hill to climb, but that doesn't mean they won't be able to do it.